The El Niño effect is raging worldwide since the winter of 2009-2010. The countries first hit by the heat wave are the ones in Southeast Asia – Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei and more. This is so because these are the countries that first encounter summer. Reports claim that the El Niño is starting to cool off but! – alas, it is still so humid and hot that once you leave the cool air-conditioned room, you seem like melting chocolate or corn kernels that are about to pop.
Surely there must be something one can do to beat the heat aside from being inside an air-conditioned room 24/7. You can go to the beach to cool off so to speak. No matter how hot the sun is, soaking in the cool sea is one way of beating the heat. You can also opt to soak in the swimming pool or for lack of one, in a tub.
watermelon juice with shaved ice
You can stay cool by drinking lots of cold drinks, fresh fruit juices included. Why not gather some of your favorite fruits, blend them in with shaved ice, add some milk and syrup for a thirst quenching drink. If you do not have fresh fruits, just make do with powdered juice or concentrates mixed in a tall glass filled with cubed ice.
Buy your favorite ice cream flavor and make soda floats! Pour your favorite soda drink into a tall glass. Make sure the soda is cold. When the bubbles have settled, scoop ice cream into the soda for a float. Too much calories for you? Well, you can try using diet soda and sugar-free ice cream. However, the cooling effect will only last from 15 to 20 minutes as it is a fact that any food that is way below your normal body temperature will have a fleeting systemic cooling effect.
Try eating yogurt for longer cooling effect. Gelatin or jelly will make you feel cooler too.
Lay low on too much animal meat. Eat more sea food like fish and crab. Your best bet is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables that have high water content: watermelon, melon, oranges, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, corn on the cob, summer squash and turnips. Fruits and veggies that are high in water content will thin the blood that can help release the heat from the body.
battle the summer heat with more fruits
On the other hand, if you don’t mind sweating, you can “spice” up you food by adding fresh ginger, chili, pepper, curry, horseradish and other “hot” condiments to help you perspire. The more you perspire, the more your body cools off. In other words, you can drink hot coffee, perspire a bit then enjoy the refreshing feeling minutes later. Or, you can drink coffee, mocha or chocolate on the rocks.
Cook food the simplest way possible. Steam and sauté. Avoid baking and broiling as these two cooking methods will sure expose you to too much heat. Avoid cooking food that has so much gravy and sauces as high calorie food will actually make you feel “hotter”.
Also, don’t forget to drink more water to stay healthy and hydrated in this hot dry weather.
